Public Foresight

Our public foresight team carries out and produces high-quality analysis and future dialogues for government ministries, political institutions, thinktanks and trade associations in the areas of scenario analysis, the development of guiding principles, as well as methodology projects, and innovation and technology analysis.

Forward-looking policymaking requires sound future analysis. As foresight experts, we carry out and produce high-quality analysis and future dialogues on behalf of government ministries, political institutions, thinktanks and trade associations. We have collaborated with well-known partners, such as the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy or the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, on a number of national and pan-European projects. Our key areas of work in the field of public foresight are scenario analysis, the development of guiding principles, as well as methodology projects, and innovation and technology analysis.

Get in touch if you are planning a public foresight project. Dr Christian Grünwald, Foresight Manager, will be happy to advise you.

Selected projects

Visions for Forests and Woodland in 2100

Visions for Forests and Woodland in 2100

The joint project with the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) entitled Future Scenarios and Visions for Forests and Woodland in 2100 looked at changing land and forestry uses from a social perspective. During the project, Z_punkt moderated a discursive scenario process and developed alternative models for the future of forests and woodland between now and 2100.

Sector

Public Sector

Consulting Service

Public Foresight

Context

Joint Project with BMBF

Services provided by Z_punkt

Moderating a discursive scenario process

The Future of Peace Operations

The Future of Peace Operations

The project Peace Operations 2025 was carried out by Z_punkt in conjunction with the ZIF Centre for International Peace Operations. What does international crisis management need to prepare itself for? What will international peace operations look like in the future? As an attempt to answer these questions, an international and interdisciplinary group of practitioners and academics came together for a series of meetings over a period of a year and a half. At three workshops, held in Berlin, Addis Abeba and New York, the participants identified the key factors and megatrends, turning them into four plausible and coherent scenarios.

Sector

Public Sector

Consulting Service

Public Foresight

Context

Centre for International Peace Operations

Services provided by Z_punkt

Supporting a research project dealing with the future of peace operations

The future of Saxony

The future of Saxony

Z_punkt is designing a scenario process for the Saxon State Chancellery to develop alternative images of the future of Saxony. The aim is to provide input for a strategic project by the Saxon regional government. To this end, Z_punkt is conducting a series of interviews with relevant political and social figures. Assisted by various specialist departments, three opportunity scenarios and one contrast scenario are being produced. The project findings will be included in the discussion of the Saxon regional governments “Saxony Master Plan 2020”.

Sector

Public Sector

Consulting Service

Public Foresight

Context

Saxon regional government

Services provided by Z_punkt

Facilitation and design of the scenario process, analysis of key factors, preparation of raw scenarios, scenario augmentation, final report

Scenarios for the future of waste management for DEFRA

Scenarios for the future of waste management for DEFRA

How much waste will be produced in future? And what does that mean for waste management? The concerns with which the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) approached Z_punkt can be broken down into these questions. Z_punkt suggested a dual-track approach: a qualitative scenario process will be accompanied by precise modelling of the future development of national waste streams. Z_punkt is modelling future waste, differentiated according to materials for private households, business and construction companies and depending on future patterns of consumption. Specific planning targets and recommendations for waste management are being deduced in close collaboration with the client.

Scenarios on the future of work for the UKCES

Scenarios on the future of work for the UKCES

The UK Commission on Employment and Skills (UKCES) advises the British government on questions of education and training. With its project entitled “Future of Work”, the client is aiming to stimulate a strategic dialogue about the future of work in the UK. How can the working population’s ability to work be increased? And how can the competitiveness of the British economy be retained? Strategic discussions with UKCES stakeholders and multipliers are already being implemented in the project as a basis for it being continued in the longer term beyond the end of the project term. The collaboration with Z_punkt has produced four scenarios for the future of work and the economy in a multi-stage process. A comprehensive report stipulates requirements for training and continuing training and highlights areas for action by employers, employees, further education establishments and politicians. “One of the most comprehensive studies of its kind”, says Toby Peyton-Jones, Director of Human Resources at Siemens and a Commissioner at the UKCES.

Sector

Public Sector

Consulting Service

Public Foresight

Context

UK Commission on Employment and Skills

Services provided by Z_punkt

Process development and facilitation, analysis of trends and scenario development on the future of work in the UK in 2030, involvement in the strategic dialogue, communication brochure for interested members of the public

Linz 21

Linz 21

In cooperation with Ars Electronica Center, Z_punkt helped the City of Linz to design a broad and participatory future process, particularly in terms of developing explorative scenarios that could be used as a guide for municipal action.

Sector

Public Sector

Consulting Service

Public Foresight

Context

City of Linz

Services provided by Z_punkt

Designing and moderating of participatory alignment and orientation process

Requirements for success for a resource-friendly society

Requirements for success for a resource-friendly society

Within the framework of the project entitled “Requirements for the success of sea changes and guiding principles in a resource-friendly society” Z_punkt is looking for guidelines and ideals as to how Germany could become “resource-friendly” by 2030. Different paths are being investigated in this connection with the aim of radically reducing the consumption of resources in Germany, such as efficiency measures imposed from above or a model that is based on voluntary renunciation and exploiting the so-called shared economy. The project is being promoted by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA). The project partners are the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy and sociodimensions – Institute for Socio-cultural Research.

Sector

Public Sector

Consulting Service

Public Foresight

Context

Long term political consulting

Services provided by Z_punkt

Devising the methodological concept (on a joint basis), analysis of key factors, execution of an expert-based scenario process (with responsibility for the content and methodology), participation in preparing alternative guidelines for a resource-light society

Prospects for working and living in Germany

Prospects for working and living in Germany

The Bertelsmann Foundation is setting up the “Prospects for Working and Living in Germany” expert commission to analyse the ruptures in the economy and society caused by globalisation and technological change. The commission is starting its work on the basis of a position paper developed by Z_punkt; it will receive methodological and content-related support from Z_punkt in fathoming our key areas of action for a future in Germany that is worth living. A scenario process will combine and condense the results of the commission’s work.

Sector

Associations & Foundations

Consulting Service

Public Foresight

Context

Bertelsmann Foundation

Services provided by Z_punkt

Preparation of a position paper to structure the topics to be covered, provision of methodological and content-related support for the commission’s work, execution of a scenario process with members of the expert commission

Interconnecting Knowledge

Interconnecting Knowledge

Funded by the EU, the project Interconnecting Knowledge (iKnow) aimed to detect early on important topics and developments that influence the European trend landscape. To this end, Z_punkt together with seven partners from different EU States and Israel expanded various methods for scanning and analysing wild cards and weak signals. An interactive platform provided insights into a database of current wild cards and weak signals.

Sector

Public Sector

Consulting Service

Public Foresight

Context

EU-funded research project

Services provided by Z_punkt

Developing new methodological approaches to wild cards and weak signals

Foresight Toolbox for German SMEs

Foresight Toolbox for German SMEs

What do tomorrow’s customers want? How will our core business change in the future? What are the topics and trends that our company will need to contend with? As part of the Foresight Toolbox for German SMEs, Z_punkt developed a free, web-based offering for innovation and strategic planning in small and medium-sized enterprises. At the heart of the platform is a foresight toolbox, a kit comprising different methodologies for future research within companies. Practical methodologies and tools are available to download and can be combined flexibly depending on the question at hand. The online platform is part of the future research project Foresight Toolbox for German SMEs, which was supported by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) as part of its innovation and technological analysis. The project was run by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH.

Sector

Public Sector

Consulting Service

Public Foresight

Context

EU-funded research project

Services provided by Z_punkt

Developing new methodological approaches to wild cards and weak signals

Foresight platform for the German armed forces

Foresight platform for the German armed forces

In the Future Analysis section of the German armed forces’ planning department, security experts and scientists focus on future challenges for the armed forces. With the “Risk Assessment & Horizon Scanning” (RAHS) project, the section has set itself the task of making methodological knowledge and online tools for security policy analyses of the future available on a Web platform. On behalf of the German armed forces, Z_punkt has assumed responsibility for the design and software implementation of a prototype for the platform and is developing a comprehensive methods pool containing more than forty methods for analysing the future, which can be combined into individual foresight processes, for scenario or trend analysis for instance, for carrying out Delphi surveys or scanning weak signals. The prototype will also be tested by other public sector entities and industrial partners in the development phase.

Sector

Public Sector

Consulting Service

Public Foresight

Context

Planning department of the German armed forces, Future Analysis section

Services provided by Z_punkt

Design of the prototype for a Web platform for security policy analyses of the future, development of the methods pool, software implementation in collaboration with a technical partner

Innovation Futures in Europe

Innovation Futures in Europe

In the EU research project "Innovation Futures in Europe", Z _punkt examined trends that might lastingly transform the European innovation landscape. The goal is to derive strategic options for EU research policy. In a first step, "weak signals" that indicate a change in innovation structures were being collected. As second step of the project, different expert committees develop visions on the basis of these "weak signals". Based on this, a moderated Foresight Process finally serves to develop scenarios and to derive policy recommendations. Project partners: Austrian Institute of Technology, Fraunhofer ISI, and Strategic Design Scenarios.

FNR Foresight for Luxembourg

FNR Foresight for Luxembourg

Z_punkt – in collaboration with VDI-TZ Düsseldorf’s Zukünftige Technologien Consulting – accompanied a Foresight process which identified mid term to long term scientific research fields and promotional priorities for Luxembourg on behalf of the “Fond National de la Recherche“ of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

Sector

Public Sector

Consulting Service

Public Foresight

Context

Fond National de la Recherche Luxembourg

Services provided by Z_punkt

Mid- to long-term foresight process, identification of strategic research fields

Contact

Get in touch if you are planning a public foresight project. Dr Christian Grünwald, Foresight Manager, will be happy to advise you.

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Got a question?

We would love to help you if you are planning a foresight project in the field of strategy or innovation. Get in touch with us and we’ll put together a tailored proposal that matches your specific requirements.